If you can’t start your day without a hot cup of coffee, you’re in very good company—most people depend on that first shot of caffeine to get up and moving in the morning. But what if you can’t finish your day without another… and another… and another?
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. The fact is, coffee, energy drinks and soda pop are popular today for a reason. But while they can get you going and keep you moving temporarily, they can’t keep you from eventually crashing… making you jittery, irritable and frazzled along the way.
The good news: There are ways to refuel your body that won’t leave you running on empty an hour later. Even better, they’re as natural as coffee… without any of the notorious side effects.
Take Guarana, for example: This Amazonian shrub has been a primary source of energy for Brazilian natives for centuries now. Unlike coffee, however, Guarana won’t give you a case of the jitters. While this plant’s seeds do deliver some caffeine, they also contain a variety of xanthines (like theobromine and theophylline), which are known to reduce blood pressure and act as potent muscle relaxants plus enhance focus and concentration.1
Also from South America, Yerba Mate is another fatigue-fighting botanical, which locals use to prepare an energizing tea. Like coffee, Yerba Mate delivers a noticeable but gentle stimulant effect—reducing stress, fighting fatigue and increasing alertness—with smoother, longer-lasting results without the unpleasant side effects of irritability or insomnia. It also has anti-cross-linking properties, indicating Yerba Mate may inhibit the formation of AGEs, destructive compounds responsible for many of the damaging effects of aging and elevated blood sugar levels seen in uncontrolled diabetics and people with the Metabolic Syndrome.2
Both of these plants are ideal coffee-free ways to wake up your body. But if you want to clear away your mental fog, you should also nourish your brain’s stimulatory neurotransmitters—and more specifically with dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine. These chemical messengers play a critical role in your body’s response to stress, and depleted levels of these neurotransmitters can chip away at everything from your mood and memory to your sex drive.
So how can you prevent feeling listless or “stressed out”? Simply supplementing with key amino acids like phenylalanine and tyrosine may do the trick. Studies reveal that animals given tyrosine prior to stress tests are better able to maintain normal levels of norepinephrine.3
The bottom line: Combining all of these natural ingredients can make for a long-lasting alternative to that bottomless cup of coffee—which is why you’ll find them all in a single synergistic, energy-boosting supplement called Blast Off Caps, from Vitamin Research Products.
References:
1. Kennedy DO, Haskell CF, Robertson B, Reay J, Brewster-Maund C, Luedemann J, Maggini S, Ruf M, Zangara A, Scholey AB. Improved cognitive performance and mental fatigue following a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement with added guaraná (Paullinia cupana). Appetite. 2008 Mar-May;50(2-3):506-13.
2. Bastos DH, Schulze J, Souza MF. Caffeic and chlorogenic acids in Ilex paraguariensis extracts are the main inhibitors of AGE generation by methylglyoxal in model proteins. Gugliucci Fitoterapia. 2009 Sep;80(6):339-44.
3. Mahoney CR, Castellani J, Kramer FM, Young A, Lieberman HR. Tyrosine supplementation mitigates working memory decrements during cold exposure. Physiol Behav. 2007 Nov 23;92(4):575-82.